Sep. 6, 2013

Zayd Allebban said he couldn't be remorseful because he's not guilty.

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Detroit Free Press Staff Writer

After professing his innocence and lambasting the government, Zayd Allebban today became the first former appointee of Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano to get sentenced to prison for his role in a public corruption scandal involving bribes, extortion and fraud.

The 34-year-old father of two was sentenced to 41 months in prison for creating phony receipts designed to cover up what the prosecution called an elaborate bribery and extortion scheme involving Allebban’s boss and a contractor. In February, prosecutors convinced a jury that Allebban created fake documents to hide payments that a contractor was giving his then-boss, Tahir Kazmi.

Allebban argues the government and jury got it all wrong. He told the judge this morning that he never knew anything criminal was going on, and if he did, he would have gone straight to investigators and said, “You’re looking for corruption? Here’s two crooks for you.”

But that didn’t happen, Allebban said, because the two men hid their crimes from him. He also said that he couldn’t pretend to show “remorse or regret” at his sentencing because he is innocent, and he noted that he refused to cut deals with the government four times.

“Your honor, I wouldn’t plead guilty, because I would never admit a false guilt in exchange for some sentencing leniency,” Allebban said. He believes he was the fall guy for the criminal acts of others, including a contractor who testified against him at the trial. “The man who profited from multimillion-dollar contracts that he admitted were illegally obtained is sitting free of charges. And instead, the only county employee who took nothing, who knew nothing, who covered his own $2 cup of coffee when he sat with a contractor, was not only charged, but somehow convicted.”

The contractor to whom Allebban referred is Philip Shisha. He gave about $100,000 in cash, travel and other items to Kazmi, who pleaded guilty to accepting bribes in the case. He will be sentenced Sept. 13. Shisha, whose company, Strategic Business Partners, had computer contracts with the county, never was charged.

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The sentencing guidelines for Allebban’s crime — obstruction of justice — were 31 to 41 months in prison. Allebban’s lawyer asked for probation or home confinement.

U.S. District Judge Stephen Murphy concluded a 41-month prison sentence was the appropriate punishment, and noted Allebban clung to the notion that he did nothing wrong, that he was misled by others and that he was the victim of others’ criminal acts.

“The defendant continues to claim that he did nothing wrong and that he did not falsify documents. ... I completely disagree with that,” Murphy said. “The respect for the law was simply not there.”

The sentence, which had many supporters in the courtroom shaking their heads in disbelief, drew the ire of Allebban’s lawyer, Haytham Faraj.

“It’s excessive,” Faraj protested. “It’s as if he’s being punished for speaking today.”

Murphy disagreed.

“I’m not punishing Mr. Allebban for speaking today,” Murphy said. “My view of the case differs from his view of the case.”

Assistant U.S. Attorney Sheldon Light, who appeared miffed by Allebban’s claims that he did nothing wrong and that the government targeted him unfairly, urged Murphy to hand down a tough sentence. He argued that obstruction of justice in a public corruption probe is a “very serious offense” that warrants a serious punishment.

“Obstruction of an investigation tears at the integrity of the justice system,” Light said, arguing that “any government investigation of corruption requires cooperation, it requires truth.”

Light also rejected the defense’s claims that Allebban thought that the payments going between the contractor and his boss were loans, not bribes. Light said Allebban was too smart for that.

“He’s not a stupid man. He’s a very smart man,” said Light, arguing that Allebban saw plenty of red flags and should have known bribery was going on.

But Allebban trusted his friends and being suspicious wasn’t in his nature, said several of the defendant’s relatives and friends who packed the courtroom. Allebban’s sister and parents expressed concern that the judge may have punished Allebban for not showing remorse or regret, or apologizing. But he couldn’t do those things, they said, because he is innocent.

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“I’m very proud of my brother today for maintaining his position and for standing up for what is right,” said Allebban’s sister, Emman Allebban, 28, a postgraduate student from Montreal. She called her brother’s case a “travesty of justice,” and said his only crime was trusting the wrong people.

“He had no reason not to believe them,” Emman Allebban said of her brother’s former boss and the contractor. “He assumes only the best in people. He’s just that kind of person who is trusting.”

Nadia Hammoud, 42, a longtime friend of the Allebbans, fought back tears as she discussed Allebban’s case.

“It was harsh. It was very harsh,” Hammoud said of the sentence. “I know he’s not guilty. ... It seems clear as day to me.”

Allebban’s parents also were baffled by the sentence. They said they raised a law-abiding son who is well respected in the community and is known for helping people in need. They also supported their son’s criticism of the government’s investigation and said it was his right to do so, especially given his innocence.

“We are very proud of him,” said his mother, who requested anonymity. “Somebody had to say those things and we support him to the end.”

His father agreed.

“I am more proud of him now than ever before,” said Alleban’s father. “He said the truth, and he isn’t trying to get the sympathy of anyone.”

Allebban is the only person charged in the Wayne County corruption probe to stand trial.